Minnesota Ballet facts for kids
The Minnesota Ballet is a professional ballet company and a school. It is located in Duluth, Minnesota, at the St. Louis County Depot.
The company started in 1965. It was founded by Donna Harkins and Jan Gibson. Back then, it was called the Duluth Civic Ballet. Over the years, it grew into a touring company. It now has many professional dancers.
From 1992 to 2007, Allen Fields was the Artistic Executive Director. He helped the Ballet perform works by famous choreographers. These included Agnes de Mille, Antony Tudor, and George Balanchine. Robert Gardner took over after him. In 2019, Karl von Rabenau became the Artistic Director. The Minnesota Ballet celebrated its 54th season in 2019-2020.
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History of the Minnesota Ballet
Before the Minnesota Ballet began, Donna Harkin taught ballet in Duluth. In the spring of 1965, she created a ballet show. It featured local amateur dancers. The show was very popular. People in the area wanted to support the young dancers.
In December 1965, twenty ballet fans in Duluth formed a board. Jan Gibson was their first president. They created the Duluth Civic Ballet. Their goal was to teach ballet. They also wanted to form a performing group with local students. Their first budget was $1,000.
The Minnesota Ballet started touring internationally in 1995. Their first international show was in San Salvador, El Salvador. Since then, the Ballet often performs its Nutcracker show in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Minnesota Ballet also brings its shows to other cities in Minnesota. They also visit nearby regions.
School of the Minnesota Ballet
The School of the Minnesota Ballet offers many classes. These range from Pre-Ballet to Ballet VII. They also offer pre-professional training. Students can learn pointe, jazz, modern, and tap dance.
The School also has creative movement classes. These are for students with special needs. Each year, students can try out for The Nutcracker. This gives them a chance to perform with the professional company. The ballet company also has a community program. It helps introduce ballet to children across the region.
Meet the Minnesota Ballet Company Staff
As of 2023, here are some of the artistic staff members:
Karl von Rabenau: Artistic Executive Director
Karl von Rabenau is from Duluth. He started his ballet journey in Minnesota. He trained at the School of the Duluth Ballet. This school is now the Minnesota Ballet. He also trained at other famous schools. These include the San Francisco Ballet School.
He joined Boston Ballet II and later the Boston Ballet company. In 1987, von Rabenau joined the Omaha Ballet. The next year, he joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. He toured with them to Taipei, Taiwan. He spent his last 10 seasons as a soloist with the Milwaukee Ballet. He performed many important roles.
Jennifer Miller: Ballet Master
Jennifer Miller joined the Minnesota Ballet as Ballet Master. She spent almost 30 years with the Milwaukee Ballet. She became a Principal Artist there. She danced in many famous ballets. These include Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. She also performed in Romeo and Juliet and Giselle.
In 2005, Miller danced for the Trey McIntyre Project. She performed at big festivals. These included the Vail International Dance Festival.
Lila Ann Coates White: Artistic Associate and Principal Teacher
Lila Ann Coates White is from Kansas City, Missouri. She danced for six seasons with the Minnesota Ballet. She stopped performing in 1993. Then, she started teaching and creating dances.
The 2018–19 season was her 25th year as Principal Teacher. She has created dances for the school. One was a "Tribute to the School." It featured 36 students for the Ballet's 50th Anniversary Gala. She has also set classical pieces for older students. An example is "Kingdom of the Shades" from La Bayadère.
Famous Choreographers
George Balanchine
George Balanchine was a very important choreographer. He created the dance for "Who Cares?". This show is part of the Minnesota Ballet's performances. Balanchine was born in Russia in 1904.
When he was 29, he came to the United States. In 1934, he helped start the School of American Ballet. He co-founded it with Lincoln Kirstein. On October 11, 1948, The New York City Ballet began. Balanchine was its main choreographer until he passed away in 1983. He changed classical ballet. He mixed his Russian style with American influences. This created an exciting and upbeat dance style.
Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor was born in London, England, in 1908. His original name was William John Cook. He changed his name after working with Dame Marie Rambert. In 1939, he moved to New York City. He helped Lucia Chase and Agnes de Mille start the Ballet Theatre. This is now the American Ballet Theatre.
Tudor was the main choreographer for American Ballet Theatre for ten years. He created dances that showed deep emotion. He used the whole body, not just facial expressions. His works were also very detailed.
Penelope Freeh: Guest Choreographer
Penelope Freeh is a guest choreographer for the Minnesota Ballet. She was a dancer with the James Sewell Ballet in Minneapolis for 15 years. Freeh has received several awards for her work. These include a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship in 1998. She also won a McKnight Fellowship for Dancers in 2003.
Ballet Performances (Repertoire)
The Minnesota Ballet has performed many shows since 1965. Here are some of them:
- Sleeping Beauty
- Suite Italienne
- One Night
- Three Virgins and a Devil
- Apollo
- Cinderella
- The Nutcracker
- Coppélia
- Dracula
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Carnival of the Animals
- The Firebird
- Giselle Act II
- Swan Lake
- Rite of Spring
- Clowns and Others
Minnesota Ballet Dancers (2018–19)
Here are some of the dancers who were part of the company in the 2018–19 season:
- Emma Stratton
- Naomi Doty
- Brennan Benson
- Branson Bice
- Charles Clark
- Sam Neale
- Brigid Duffin
- Sarah Gresik
- Brianna Crockett
- Daniel Westfield
- Tyler Piwowarczyk
- Eric Pagnano
- Sarah White
- Rachel Fuchs - Senior Apprentice
- Payton Kline - Senior Apprentice
- Erin Haebig - Apprentice
